On a convexity property of the space of almost Fuchsian immersions (Q6183209)

Let \(\rho\) be a discrete, injective homomorphism from a compact surface group into \(\mathbb{P}\mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb{C})\). This homomorphism is said to be quasi-Fuchsian whenever it preserves a Jordan curve in \(\partial_{\infty}\mathbb{H}^3\). The homomorphism \(\rho\) is said to be almost Fuchsian whenever, in addition to being quasi-Fuchsian, its fixed Jordan curve bounds an embedded minimal disk in \(\mathbb{H}^3\) with sectional curvature of absolute values everywhere less than \(1\). When this holds, the minimal disk is also unique. By Riemann's uniformization theorem, to every almost Fuchsian homomorphism \(\rho\) it is possible to associate a pair \((\sigma, f)\), where \(\sigma\) is a Fuchsian representation, and \(f:D\rightarrow \mathbb{H}^{3}\) is a \((\sigma, \rho)\)-equivariant conformal minimal embedding. Furthermore \(\sigma\) is unique up to conjugation and, once \(\sigma\) is fixed, \(f\) is unique. Conversely, the pair \((\sigma, f)\) uniquely determines \(\rho\). The second fundamental form of \(f\) is the real part of a \(\sigma\)-invariant holomorphic quadratic differential on \(D\). Let \(\mathcal{Q}(D,\sigma)\) be the vector space of \(\sigma\)-invariant holomorphic quadratic differential on \(D\). By the above discussion, there is a subset \(\mathcal{Q}_{af}(D,\sigma)\) that parameterizes the space of conjugacy classes of almost Fuchsian homomorphisms. The main result of the paper shows that \(\mathcal{Q}_{af}(D,\sigma)\) is convex in \(\mathcal{Q}(D,\sigma)\).